Henri MARTEAU (1874-1934)
String Quartet No 1, Op 5 (1904/1907) [34:44]
Clarinet Quintet, Op 13 (1906) [34:50]
Jean-Michel Charlier (clarinet) Isasi Quartet
rec October 2018 at Historischer Reitstadel, Neumarkt in der Oberpfalz,, Germany (Op 5) and in April 2019 at St Johanniskirche, Schweinfurt, Germany
CPO 555 129-2 [69:38]
Billed as Volume 2 in a CPO series devoted to Marteau’s complete works for string quartet, the cosmopolitan Isasi Quartet are joined here by Belgian clarinettist Jean-Michel Charlier in a fine account of the Clarinet Quintet which is oft cited as Marteau’s best-known work. It comes as something of a surprise to note that this appears to be (at least) its fifth appearance on disc. In contrast, the revised version of Marteau’s slightly earlier first (numbered) string quartet appears to be receiving its debut recording. Both works are extended essays in their respective forms, running just shy of 35 minutes apiece. Whilst I was vaguely aware of Marteau’s reputation as a minor composer – his renown as a prominent (if sadly rather ill-starred) violin virtuoso of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century has been more enduring – I had few expectations for this disc, having encountered just one modestly positive review of the first volume (CPO 5551282) which paired Marteau’s second quartet with his cycle of 8 Songs, Op 18. As it happens I was deeply impressed and even moved by both works. Marteau’s is a quiet voice; his constructions are most intricate but they are also approachable and communicative. It helps when the performers seek to inhabit the music; judging by their immaculate preparation and spellbinding execution, the Isasi Quartet and their guest prove to be most enthusiastic advocates.
Marteau’s name is self-evidently French; although he was born in Reims where his father was president of the local Philharmonic society his mother was in fact German. Both these pieces seem to offer a tastefully and convincingly realised synthesis of these inherited traditions. Marteau’s near contemporary Albéric Magnard has been described as the ‘French Bruckner’; perhaps Marteau’s style suggests a ‘Gallic Reger’. Marteau was a close friend and supporter of the German composer; indeed Reger dedicated his appealing yet thorny violin concerto to the Frenchman whose own music certainly tends toward contrapuntal and harmonic complexity, although his touch is markedly and consistently lighter. I feel many listeners are likely to respond most positively to it. I have previously admitted my enthusiasm for Reger on this site, but I still need to take a deep breath (and perhaps a stiff drink) before losing myself in his dense contrapuntal forestry. Marteau’s music is no less detailed, but it is leavened by the elegance of his ideas and a refinement which consistently underpins their execution. Unlike some of Reger’s more extreme experiments, Marteau’s music requires little psychological ‘preparation’ on the part of the listener. Both pieces on this disc improve with repetition, whilst each projects an alluring autumnal aura which I found reflected something of the current lockdown zeitgeist.
Marteau’s first string quartet begins with an amiable, unhurried Allegro; its songful theme cuts through immediately and sticks. The arrangement of the material is ornate and playful rather than clever. That said, the moments of repose and reflection that emerge at the conclusion of each paragraph hint at something deeper and sadder. The Isasi Quartet seem to have a real grasp of the spirit as well as the letter of this music which one assumes could only have arisen from intensive rehearsal. I do find it quite extraordinary that work of this quality has lain dormant for so long. An episode just before the bridge into the second movement is somewhat Debussian; it’s marked Allegro giocose, ma non troppo and glides along not without some residual melancholy. The initial melodic idea perplexes the ear - it is certainly difficult to ‘place’ this music – and I found the whirligig of ideas at times redolent of Mendelssohn, Mahler and at one point (to maintain the alliteration) Marteau even seems to anticipate Milhaud, For all that it coheres unexpectedly and ultimately convinces. The Isasi Quartet convey its lissom mobility and open-heartedness with total conviction. The finale is perhaps a little unwieldy; marked Largo e Rondo: Religioso ed espressivo (the two elements are separately tracked) this seventeen minute panel begins with a procession of unexpectedly grave intensity. Its intrinsic richness is carefully rendered by both players and engineers. In due course the Largo yields to a delightful pastoral theme which doesn’t entirely shed the sadness of the slow section. Cosima Obert’s detailed note implies that critical reaction to this finale was rather muted at the time, possibly because of an (unfair) perception that Marteau’s ideas were too fragmentary and short-lived. I really didn’t ‘get’ that at all – there’s certainly a lot going on but each successive ‘little piece’ clearly derives from the opening pastoral idea and the whole coheres perfectly well. As a matter of fact I found this quartet to be quietly compelling and certainly distinctive; I rather suspect that because Marteau’s finale doesn’t follow some conventional ‘formula’ it more than likely foxed the cognoscenti of the time.
Marteau’s clarinet quintet was completed not long after the appearance of the original version of the quartet, yet it exudes more in the way of assurance and confidence from the outset. It was written during an extended sojourn in Geneva and dedicated to Brahms’ clarinet ‘muse’ Richard Mühlfeld, who unfortunately died just before he was due to perform its scheduled premiere. The opening movement is marked Andante molto sostenuto – moderato assai and proves to be a substantial and compelling panel replete with sublime craftsmanship. By now Marteau’s melodic ideas are more robust and extended, whilst the clarinet writing is idiomatic, mellifluous and agreeable. Empty virtuosity is entirely absent -this is music of enduring serenity and no little sophistication. Harmonic surprises abound but represent Marteau’s good taste and sense of adventure rather than novelty for its own sake. The following Allegro moderato features a sequence of delicious episodes and some fruity clarinet writing in which Jean-Michel Charlier excels. The Isasi Quartet’s soft playing is beautifully caught by the CPO engineers and provides a consistent delight. This movement seems to incorporate a perfect blend of Gallic and Germanic elements. The slow movement begins more conventionally with a rather insouciant tune but almost imperceptibly the atmosphere changes as Marteau leads the players into darker, more ambiguous terrain. This is nocturnal, haunting material for sure; think Verklärte Nacht with a clarinet. Its Andante sostenuto marking carries over into the finale which soon yields to a chirpier Allegro molto. At this point Marteau deploys another quicksilver sequence of fast-changing textures and ideas which confirm the impression created by the finale of the first quartet – he was actually a master at sewing together brief, tantalising motifs into a coherent whole which more than adds up to the sum of its parts. The quintet’s conclusion is unambiguously high- spirited.
In summary, from my perspective both these works have turned out to be real finds. I have been sufficiently convinced by Marteau to try his second quartet which appeared on Volume 1 in this series; it’s a little more acerbic but clearly a product of the same hand and no less appealing than the works on its sequel. The present issue provided a most apt soundtrack for a gloomy November Sunday evening in Lancashire. Marteau’s burnished autumnal colours are mirrored in the glorious cover art, a reproduction of La Seine à la Frette, a marvellous oil painting by Albert Marquet which dates from precisely the time of this music. Both are superbly played and recorded. I’ll certainly be seeking more of Marteau’s music – there seems to be plenty available.
Richard Hanlon
